USA Hockey Magazine

24 // JULY 2023 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM TWO OF A KIND WHEN ALEC MARTINEZ took a Jack Eichel pass and wrist- ed it over the shoulder of Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to give the Vegas Golden Knights a two- goal lead in Game 5, it marked the coming together of two American players on different paths to Stanley Cup glory. For Eichel, the 26-year-old former No. 2 overall pick of the Buffalo Sabres in 2015, it was a redemption in the desert of sorts after a rocky start to what was billed as a promising career. "It's only human nature to have some doubt creep in when you don't make it to playoffs for an extended period of time," said Eichel, who became the third player to lead the playoffs in points during his first-ever trip to the postseason. "You're won- dering if it will ever happen. So many people go through their whole career without having the opportunity to hoist the Stanley Cup. It's the hardest thing in the world [to win]." For Martinez, the 36-year-old defenseman who already had two Stanley Cups under his belt, it marked his return to the top of the hockey world at a time when he wondered if he would ever return. "When you're 24 and 26 [years old] on that run where you go Stanley Cup, conference finals, Stanley Cup, you have this feeling that it's going to happen more often than it does, but that's not the case," said Martinez, whose goal came nine years to the day after his Cup-clinching goal in double overtime against the N.Y. Rangers in 2014. "So, to be back here to compete for it, let alone win it, is a pretty special feeling." They were not the only two Americans who contributed to the Golden Knights Stanley Cup run, although they were the only two on the ice during the Finals. Martinez's long-time teammate in Los Angeles, Jonathan Quick, served as Aidan Hill's backup goaltender for much of the playoffs, and Phil Kessel, the current holder of the NHL's Ironman streak for most con- secutive games played in the regular season, was a healthy scratch for all but four games in the playoffs. Still, both players will join Martinez in having their names engraved on the Cup for the third time in their careers. –Harry Thompson Cup Victory Equally Special The First & Third Time Around V I D E O "It's the best feeling in the world," - Jack Eichel PHOTOS BY Getty Images

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